


The Real Hero

by kathrikat



Category: The Property of Hate, Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Angst, Arguing, Gen, Sad, past exes mentioned, poor tamika holy shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-25
Updated: 2016-01-25
Packaged: 2018-05-16 07:20:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5819344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kathrikat/pseuds/kathrikat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Instead of the Hero we all know and love, RGB takes on a new girl that goes by the name of Tamika Flynn. Everything is fine, right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Real Hero

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so sorry for this, no regrets though. I thought that I saw some similarities between RGB and Tamika Flynn so here just take this.

     Tamika Flynn.  
  


RGB hadn't wanted to learn her name, but she had been so persistent on introducing herself to him. She had stuck out a calloused hand, and plastered a look of warmth and caution. Maybe a little too much of the latter.  
  


Her form had been small, although tough. Almost war ridden. Her eyes glowed a caramel, and were filled to the brim with fire if you looked at her a certain way. Her clothes were tattered, looking as if she had been in a tussle every other day. Perhaps she had. The town she lived in wasn't exactly safe.  
  


His eyes had taken notice to the object stuck to her waist. It glinted as she turned and appeared to be rather light. An axe. He had wondered what it had been for, but was too afraid to ask. On her back she had a backpack. This juxtaposed to the axe, was rather heavy, and on further inspection had been filled to the brim with books.  
  


" _Would you like to be a hero?"_ He had asked as she leaned against the tree that grew hands, popping her bubble of gum.  
  


_"I already am."_ She had said, pointing to the badge that was on her leather jacket. RGB had been taken aback. _Already a hero?_  
  


_"Would you like to be a hero, again?"_ RGB clarified this time. The televison he called a head had turned to the side, looking at her for answer, or something. Her face was devoid of any emotion. She eyed him up and down before letting a smile creep onto her face.  
  


_"Lead the way, telly man."_  
  


RGB puffed, which sounded more like static than a puff. He had a feeling this was going to be a long journey.  
  


Tamika wasnt like the other Heros he had brought along. She didn't ask questions. She followed. She listened. She took orders, only, of course if she had felt as though they were justified. In fact, he had found himself being lead by her sometimes. She had that aura about her. She never asked for much. Only that as they travelled, he tell her stories. He had complied, each time he began uttering the words; Fine, but just this once.  
  


Tamika was also very good at seeing through RGB, quite literally at times. She caught onto his way of speaking. Never telling the truth, but never telling a direct lie. She had laughed at him.  
  


_"And what, pray tell, is so funny?"_  
  


She had eyed him, her brows raised in confusion.  
  


_"I have to say, dapper, I've never met someone so, **opaque.** "_  
  


He winced at her words and she must've noticed, because her face had suddenly softened.  
  


_"Not that that's a bad thing, but perhaps stating facts is more, helpful in this situation. Death is always on the line, after all."_  
  


RGB did not speak after that.  
  


* * *

 

     The girl never called him by his actual name. It was always, _Colors_ , or _Telly Man,_ or _Dapper._ Yes, she used an adjective as a nickname. And when she had finally asked what his name stood for, she started calling him, _Red, Green, and Blue_. Blue was her favorite for some reason. And Red and Green were only used on special occasions. Like when he got out of hand, she would scold and call him Red. Green was neutral. Usually only used when she had to knock sense into him. RGB utterly despised and loved these nicknames all the same.  
  


Tamika did not ask if he was a monster. Perhaps she had already known. Or maybe it was the fear _of_   knowing. He knew that Tamika knew lots of things, some even about this world. He did not know how she knew. She had merely told him it was because Night Vale was a world between worlds. Before RGB could even begin to question what that meant, she was already throwing her hands wildly around and explaining that Night Vale exists sandwiched between several planes of existence. Or so Carlos the Scientist had told her. And that things from those other worlds leak in. Sometimes it's people, somethings it's catastrophes, and on miraculous days, sometimes it's books.  
  


If RGB had to describe Tamika with an object, it would be a book. Her pages tattered and worn, the spine crumbling, the front cover's lettering and picture beginning to fade, dog ears every where, but a beautiful story none the less. It did not matter how badly she was beaten or hurt, or broken. Her story, her life, would still hang on. She would continue to fight to the very end. RGB had truly found himself a hero.

* * *

 

    _"Why are your book shelves full of vials?"_ That was the first thing Tamika had asked Madras, causing RGB to become rather embarrassed. Madras's eye flickered to him and then back to the fourteen year old.  
  


**"I think the question is, why would my vial shelves be full of books?"**  
  


_"That's easy,"_ Tamika said, looking at all the vials' colors, _"Books take you places without even having to move. Books save people. Books are worlds within worlds._ "  
  


RGB interrupted. _"Books are all too dangerous, too."_  
  


Tamika shrugged. _"Sure, they attract librarians, and can sometimes stop working, but as long as you don't keep too many in one place you'll be fine."_  
  


Madras gave RGB a look.  
  


**"Looks like you found yourself a keeper, RGB."  
  
**

He sighed.  
  


_If only she knew the half of it._  
  


* * *

 

       
    Confessions were one thing Tamika liked to do at least once a day. Coming from Night Vale, she had believed in a God and liked very much to drag RGB into her religious duties. Not forceful or anything, but persistent.  
  


_"Your God doesn't exist here, you know that right?"_  
  


She kicked a rock. _"Gods can exist anywhere. I don't why you can't grasp that. Just confess. I'm not here to judge, that's not my job."_  
  


RGB, albeit hesitant, did confess. It was vague and simple things like _"I was once in love."_ and _"Too many lives lost."_  
  


Tamika had stared at him for a while after that. He thought she was judging him, but he knew she never went against her word. He could tell she was thinking about Night Vale, about her past there. Her head turned to the side, eyes squinted and mouth slightly agape. RGB didn't know, but she was thinking about the Summer Reading Program. The day she was recognized as a Hero, with a librarians severed head in hand. Many had counted that as victorious, but it wasn't in her book. Only because, to quote RGB, Too many lives lost.  
  


She remembers every name, every look of horror and grief on each parents face she had to console. She regrets not being able to save them. So yes, she was a Hero in the eyes of Night Vale, and even this new world she was travelling in, but not through her own eyes. She had fucked up, and no matter how many times she rose up victorious and undefeated, those kids always ran through her mind. Her hand touched his arm, and he flinched, but her grip stayed the same.  
  


_"I know how you feel."_  
  


* * *

  
Along the way, he had asked her why she had chosen to come if she was supposedly already a hero. When she had heard this, she struck her most valiant pose and, while placing a hand over her heart, had said

_"Sad is not the land that has no Hero. Sad is the land that needs a Hero."_

And that was all she had said. And that was all she needed to say. RGB didn't understand but, he did all the same. There were no other words that needed to be spoken.  
  


* * *

  
     There was one thing that RGB didn't understand. Although, Tamika knew. She always seemed to just know things. Like so much was just stored up in her head. Now, she twirled in the leather jacket that was much too big for her and put her hair up into short pigtails. Her calloused hands pulled out a packet of gum, the pink substance turning into a bubble as she worked it.  
  


_"Tell me, what is your name?"_ He had asked this because he always did in the Plains of Hesitation. The kids always forgot. Yet here she was, in her pink tu-tu and striped black and white leggings telling it to him.  
  


_"You forget or something, Blue? It's Tamika Flynn. Forgetting the name of the person who's about to save your world, is kinda rude. Maybe you should get that telly of yours checked out."_  
  


Tamika could see he was surprised. She expected this, in a vague sort of way. In a _Night Vale_ , sort of way.  
  


_"How do you-"_  
  


_"Because I agreed. Because I already know I am the Hero. I have been since, forever. All my life, I've been the Hero. Tamika Flynn, the Hero. You can't erase Tamika Flynn, when Tamika Flynn is already what you want her to be. Sure, I can't go back to the past me, either because I was younger, or because I had more friends back then._" She blew a bubble remembering the ones lost.  
  


_“But that’s life. I’m Tamika Flynn, now. Have been, and always will be. Let’s go.”  
  
_

She lead the way like she had the map scrawled on the back of her hand, and he followed.  
  


* * *

  
RGB was done with her childish ways. She was fourteen for the love of god, she didn’t know everything. How could she just stand there and pretend to know what it was like to be an adult? How could she just be so her? How could she tell him that she had every right to stand by him with fighting this war like she had been in a rebellion herself? She was only a child.  
  


_“What do you know about war? You’ve never started a rebellion and had to see your friends die because of it! You don’t know what you’re talking about and it needs to stop!”  
  
_

Tamika’s fists clenched, her bubble popped, and she spat it in his direction.  
  


“ _Oh, I don’t know about anything war or rebellion, do I? So training all those kids to fight, and watching them die at my hands, and taking down a helicopter with rocks and slingshots, was just nothing then? Getting captured by a bunch of StrexCorp employees and beat and forced into telling our plans was just nothing? Using an elaborate system of stomping morse code and getting the radio to broad cast it was all just some child’s play, huh?”  
  
_

Tamika was now very close to him. An accusing finger pressed against his chest. RGB hadn't the faintest idea what she was talking about. Perhaps Night Vale was more than he thought it to be.  
  


_“The name of every child who was lost, or disappeared from existence because they were too ashamed to come back, that are engraved in the back of my head, and every dream I have, is all just some silly mischief? How dare you be the one to judge my past because of my age! The two things aren’t even related!”  
  
_

Her eyes were watering now, each word she spoke, she got louder, and at the very end, she tried to strike to him. Her hand was flat, a slap she had wanted, but RGB had caught her hand before she had been able to do so. Her hand and body went limp, and RGB had regretted saying anything.  
  


_“I am no Hero.”  
  
_

She stated this like it was a fact.  
  


_“Stand.”  
  
_

He wasn’t giving her a choice here. Without saying a word, he slipped to her his handkercheif. He started to speak to her again.  
  


_“Hero-”  
  
_

_“I am no Hero!”  
  
_

If she kept this up, he was going to strike _her.  
  
_

_“Yes you are. You have to be, or else you wouldn’t be here right now. You wouldn’t have wanted to save so many.”  
  
_

She wiped at her eyes once more.  
  


_“What is the point in saving so many, when there is so many lost? Why did I have to be the one to choose?”  
  
_

_“To keep life going, that is why. You were chosen, because you are strong, Miss Flynn. Because you are wise beyond your days. Because I see in you the potential to save, and to be, and to create. Your story here is very close to ending. You can’t give up now, or else all that hard work will have been for nothing._ ” He stopped tucking the hankercheif he had given her, inside of her leather jacket’s breast pocket.  
  


_“You understand?”  
  
_

She nodded and he continued.  
  


_“I’m sorry that I didn’t take into consideration what you have been through, Miss Flynn.”  
  
_

Tamika shook her head.  
  


_“We have both been through much, let’s leave it at that.”  
  
_

And they moved forward.  
  


* * *

 

  
When he had mentioned the library, Tamika's eyes could have exploded from their sockets.  
  


_"Library? Why didn't you tell me about a library before? Where is it? How many books are there? Are there hoards of librarians?"_  
  


RGB had stood stiff, telly tilted to the side. He thought she was going to be excited, but was met with fear.  
  


_"I don't know how libraries worked in - Where you came from, but here librarians aren't evil. There's only one."_  
  


Tamika laughed, clutching the hatchet at her side even harder.  
  


_"You love to joke, don't you, Colors?"_  
  


_"Miss Flynn, I most certaintly am not joking. The only threat here is maybe Rushmallow, but she's only one and a half inches tall so how much of a threat is she, really?"_  
  


She laughed again. _"I've seen ants set fire to several houses before. Don't estimate someone by their size, Blue. Estimate someone by their determination, by their will."_  
  


He took her advice.  
  


 

They trodded along the towering bookshelves. Tamika was wary, while RGB wondered how Percival could keep up with this many books. All of Tamika's life she had had to deal with the things that lurked in the dark. This new land wasn't unlike hers in that sense.  
  


This land covered things she hadn't thought up yet. It personified abstract feelings and ideas, it kept a house of paint for some reason, and most importantly, there were no hoards of horrendous, foul creatures called librarians. They simply did not exist. It appeared she was going to find that out the hard way.  
  


_Where? Where could they be?_

The girl was indenial, RGB could tell. He watched her shimmy about, ducking behind shelves and looking at the air like she could see the vibrations in it. It was beautiful, in a Tamika Flynn sort of way.  
  


_**"My, My look at what the cat dragged in."** _  
  


_Cal Inkwell.  
  
_

Cal Inkwell was a writer. He wrote until his hands were calloused and sore. He wrote until he could see the dawn of day and taste the morning dew. This is all, of course, metaphorical. Mostly because Inkwell has no mouth. A shame really.  
  


RGB puffed.  
  


_"I think the only cat here is you, Cal."  
  
_

Ignoring RGB, Cal looked at the girl, who was more than surprised to see this new character, but refused to show it. _**“I see you’re still up to you’re old antics.”**_  
  


_“Shut up.”_  
  


Tamika’s gaze faltered. She had only known of one object head, and that was RGB. She didn’t know there was more than one of them. It was fascinating to her, and at the same time she wasn’t surprised at all. How did object heads even work? Perhaps it was best she didn’t know.  
  


**_"Whoa, pulled a nerve there, didn't I?"  
  
_ **

_"Where's Percival?"_  
  


Cal shrugged.  
  


_**"Where he always is."**_ He gestured up.  
  


Percival was always up. He sat at the top of his library and read in the morning light until the moon rose above and gilmmered in. Rushmallow usually sat on his shoulder while he did so. Or she would organize books. The smaller ones of course. Rushmallow was much too small too move most. If she wasn't careful, the books could probably crush her, but those thoughts rarely entered her mind. (They entered her mind all the time actually, and it showed too. But she would never admit that aloud to anyone.)  
  


RGB gestured for Tamika to follow him. Albeit reluctant, she did.  
  


_"Who was that guy? What was his deal?"_  
  


RGB flipped his cane in the air, indicating his shrug.  
  


_"That was Cal Inkwell. He's a writer."_  
  


Oddly, Tamika understood.

 

When they reached the top, Tamika could not stop staring at the individual in front of her. He was dressed up quite professionally. That was something she notcied in the three object heads she had come to meet. Why? Perhaps object heads feel the need to? Maybe it's some sort of connection to a past life? It wasn't really Tamika's place to say anything.  
  


That didn't mean she wasn't gonna think about it relentlessly. How was Percival's head a book? Could she read it? Would it have his thoughts? Memories? His entire life story? What was she even staring at now? There perched on Percival's right shoulder (her left) was a creature that was most likely shorter than her pinky. It must've been this Rushmallow RGB had spoken of. She was so small, so cute. Tamika wanted it gone.  
  


**"RGB? What are you doing here?"**  
  


_"Things, Percival."_ He nodded his head in the direction of Tamika, who was still relentlessly staring.  
  


_"Tamika, this is Percival."_  
  


**"And** **this"**  Percival pointed to the little character that was clinging to him for dear life, partially hiding behind his shirt collar.  **"Is** **Rushmallow.** **She's** **a** **bit** **shy** **though."**  
  


Tamika waved her hand. As of now, Rushmallow was the least of her concerns. What Tamika really wanted, was the books.  
  


_"Yeah, ok. Let's talk about books. Can I check them out? Is this even real? Tell me, have you read-"_ Here Tamika went into a long, long list of the books she's read, pulling the tattered things out of her bag. _"Do you have this one but with less govenment censorship?"_ She flipped through it showing him the thick black stains that crossed out the forbidden knowledge that Night Vale citizens were to never know about.  
  


If Percival had eyes, they would've shone with excitement. He twirled around grabbing the things she was asking for, which surprisingly, he had. Plus he shoved several book recommendations in her direction. Her sharp mind stored them away for later. She would most likely sneak them on the way out anyway.  
  


RGB groaned.  
  


_Book lovers unite._  
  


* * *

  
      _Magnus._ If only he hadn’t said anything. If only he hadn’t told her he had been in love, he wouldn’t be caught in this mess as of now. She twirled around him, blocking his path.  
  


_“Tell me something about him, and I’ll let you pass for four feet.”_  
  


_"What? No. No way, I am not doing that. I don't even know where he is anymore."_  
  


Tamika rolled her eyes. _"You don't need to know that to tell me about him. C'mon. I'm almost done here. The least you could do is tell me how you two met or something. What did he look like? Was he beautiful?"  
  
_

RGB nodded, letting out a staticy puff.  
  


_"Yes. Very much so."_  
  


Tamika considered this.  
  


_"I'll give you half a foot for that one."_  
  


RGB held out his cane, lightly hitting her with it.  
  


_"C'mon now, this is no time for games."_  
  


Tamika mocked him.  
  


_" 'Come on this is no time for games.' Red! Out of all the stories I need to hear, this one is the most important one of all! Love is although annoying, beautiful in all aspects of it."_  
  


RGB walked past her this time.  
  


_"And what do you know about love?"_  
  


At this, Tamika stopped in her tracks. She was in love. There was a girl who resided back home. She lived with her mother and step father. She couldn't walk, but that didn't mean anything. She was still beautiful all the same. Tamika admired the way she read in the moonlight, her glasses reflecting her beautiful eyes. The way her hair was messy when she got to school on some days.  
  


On special days they would go out to the barren plains of the desert and look at the stars. Janice would usually say something like her Uncle Cecil, _"Look at the sky, mostly void, partially stars."_ And then Tamika would look at the sky and then back at beautiful Janice, and then back at the sky and say _"I'm gonna fight it._ " And then they would laugh. They would hold one another, and smooch. They would say I love you to one another.  
  


Tamika of course, explained this all to RGB in a considerably less amount of words, but she meant it all the same. RGB nodded along to her stories of Janice.  
  


_"I miss her so much."_  
  


RGB placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  


_"It sounds like you know more than me."_  
  


Tamika laughed. _"She must be worried about me. I didn't even say goodbye."_  
  


_"You'll see her again."_  
  


Tamika could only hope.  
  


* * *

 

Tamika had found herself with knowledge. More knowledge than maybe she was supposed to know about. RGB had told her he didn't dream, yet here she could see his body quivering from a nightmare. Perhaps in his mind, he did not include nightmares as dreams. Perhaps he was only trying to keep her safe.  
  


_"You do not fool me, Colors. You do dream."_  
  


_"So do you."_ RGB picked at his gloves, waiting for her response.  
  


_"At least I didn't fake a conversation about it. At least I don't mix my words, Red."_  
  


_"I do not mix words, Hero. I merely rearrange them."_  
  


_"That's the same damn thing and you know it."_  
  


She was right. He manipulated and took and _lied_ his way through things. Not that it mattered. Nothing seemed to anymore. He was caught red handed and there was nothing he could do about it.  
  


_"How many?"_ She asked her voice slightly cracking. She was just another in a long list of corpses. Whether she became one or not was up to her.  
  


RGB shrugged. _"I don't remember."_ He was lying. He did know, but he knew such a high number would frighten her.  
  


_I don't remember_   frightened her even more. So many had been lost to this man. This _thing_. Out of all the monsters, and _librarians_ , she had faced in her life, the very worst stood before her. A technicolor nightmare. She understood why, but it did not remove the sinking feeling in her heart. She understood, but that did not mean she had to forgive him. She swallowed.  
  


_"You never wanted to though, right?"_  
  


If there was any kind of decency left in this man, he would give her a straight answer. No more lies, no more transparent truths. If she was going to help, she needed to know, _she needed to._  
  


_"Of course not. I never hurt a hair on their heads. I never wanted to watch them die."_  
  


The air she had not realized she was holding in, and her grip at her sides, were released.  
  


_"Then I guess I can stick around a while longer."_  
  


RGB's gaze turned from her. _"That's good to hear."_  
  


Before he could start moving again, Tamika blocked his path. The very fire in her eyes he was hoping to avoid was staring him down like Death.  
  


_"You must promise me one thing though, Colors."_  
  


RGB stared back, and he could see how wise she was. So wise beyond her age.  
  


_"I suppose."_  
  


With her arms folded over her chest she leaned forward quite a bit.  
  


_"I will be the last."_  
  


RGB didn't understand what she meant by that. Being the last was all up to her, but he nodded anyway.  
  


She knew he didn't understand, but she did. She remembered the words he spoke to her: **_A flower must die to complete their purpose._  **

**Author's Note:**

> I might write more, what do you think?


End file.
